Micah Liesenfeld

BIOGRAPHY:

Micah Liesenfeld spent most of his early life drawing worlds of geologic complexity and creating a sub universe of some kind filled with air planes and sea monsters. He named his first planet "7-Lightning" after his favorite number and his second planet, "Moon Travelers," after his favorite bottle rocket. He would systematically explore these worlds with magic marker and crayons for hours. During the winter months, however, markers were the medium of choice since he loved to watch his crayons melt on the radiator in his bedroom. In more recent times, he graduated with a BFA from Lindenwood University in 2001, and his work carries a theme of exploration through abstract and non-objective landscape. His art has held to those early visions of travel through unexplored and rocky terrain, and even a sea monster or two have broken the cobalt blue depths (to the chagrin of many). His explorations have led him to placement in several group shows, and he has exhibited on his own as well. His work has been purchased by various private collectors in the United States as well as people who have commissioned him for mural and painting projects. While exhibited work is usually oil painting or Chinese watercolor, Micah's first love is for drawing, and he can often be found scribbling on a sketch pad in various St. Louis parks and neighborhoods when he is not feeding the ducks.

Music has also been important to Micah throughout his life. Beginning in 2001, Micah began creating an audio journal on a hand-held tape recorder under the name "Silent Skies." The recording process eventually made its way up to the painting studio. Often times, Micah would feel a block in his creativity while painting, and he would pull out his guitar and rock out in the other room for a half-hour before returning to paint. Then one day, it occurred to him that the music and visuals could join together in holy matrimony. The two joined together to create a new entity that had not existed before when the two were separate. Neither painting nor song were meant to illustrate one another. Rather, they both bring their similarities and differences to the table for an interaction that will hopefully produce something beautiful in the end. Today, Silent Skies has evolved into a live performance show with hand-held puppets, golf balls, bird whistles and other ephemera. The first full length album, "On a Balloon and a Prayer" is now available.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:

2008 ©Micah Liesenfeld